RIP: Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston was found dead last night in her suite at the Beverly Hilton. She was 48-years old.  While the cause of death, at the time of writing, is still unknown, and we're all familiar with Houston's public battles with substance abuse; her death feels sudden and far too soon. For a more eloquent telling, I recommend you read Barry Michael Cooper's tribute on The Huffington Post.

Seen & Heard: St. Vincent, "Cheerleader"

It made my list of favorite songs for last year and now St. Vincent's "Cheerleader" has been given a lovely, rather surreal official video in which Annie Clark becomes a living work of art.  Oh, and if you haven't already checked out the full album (Strange Mercy),it's your own problem. 

Novelty Treats: "Video Games" meets "Hunger Games"

...and we all win.  Second City's Holly Laurent has mashed-up Lana Del Rey and your new favorite YA series in a way we all should have seen coming.  This would be notable for the line "I don't want Peeta to be dead/a pita is a pouch of bread/but that's his name" alone...

Seen & Heard: Die Antwoord, "I Fink U Freeky"

The problem with Die Antwoord is that the moment I hear one of their songs it becomes trapped in my head for days running on a loop of sounds and accents and rolling verses and Vi$$er's (that's her above, yes, she was the style basis for David Fincher's Lisbeth Salander) strange child-cartoon voice.  With that in mind, I invite you to watch the South African rap duo's appropriately scuzzy "I Fink U Freeky" video.   The short is directed by photographer Roger Ballen, and while I don't always love Die Antwoord, this is a phenomenally realized video that works to visually match the sound on every level.  It's a circus geek freak show in a grimy, bombed-out trash heap of decrepitude that would be creepy if it weren't such a dance party.  Above and beyond. A-grade.

Seen & Heard: M.I.A.

WHAT WAS MISSING FROM YOUR FRIDAY NIGHT?  WAS IT M.I.A.?  YES. IT WAS.  PROBLEM SOLVED. YOU'RE WELCOME.  THAT'S MY OPINION ON THIS RIGHT NOW.